The new episode of the Something Beautiful Podcast features an interview with Lawrence Moore, director of the URC’s Windermere Centre and author of Disclosing New Worlds, a fabulous lectionary blog.  It’s his story of his journey from Zimbabwe  where he served as a police officer in special branch through the civil war to a realisation of what he’d been involved in and a changed life and understanding of who God is.  Well worth a listen!

Last week’s sermon focused on John 15: 9-17 and used some material from the excellent OneKirk worship material and from the equally excellent Lawrence Moore’s blog, Disclosing New Worlds.  As always, youth thoughts and comments are wel,comed.

I’ve posted the text for this sermon about Mary of Bethany and Judas before but I’ve never recorded it until now.

I often feel that Holy Week is one of the most overlooked parts of the Christian year.  That’s all the more strange because it is at the very heart of our faith.  Today is the day when we remember that Jesus gathered  with his closest friends in an upper room to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.  During the meal Jesus broke bread and shared a cup of wine and in doing so gave the church the sacrament of communion.  Remember me.  Sad that in Holy Week, of all times, we forget.

I’m proud to be a co-host of the Something Beautiful Podcast.

For those of you who don’t know about the podcast our intrepid gang (Thomas, Jonathan and I) interview people who have a story to tell.  Mostly these are people of faith.  Many of them are people who have had interesting experiences of church and of life.  Stories are amazing, mostly because they aren’t opinion but rather a lived experience.

This week we share the first part of Thomas’ conversation with Adele Sakler (aka existential punk).  Adele grew up in a typical Protestant Christian family but in high school and college began to struggle with the issues between her faith and her attraction to other women.  She’s now come to peace with the fact that she’s gay and a follower of The Way and she’s become a bold voice about her faith, her homosexuality as well as her Chronic Lyme Disease.

From her blog:

My name is Adele and “i am thomas, doubter. i am judas, betrayer. i am nicodemus, reluctant in the night. i am st. john of the cross, soul darkened by love. i am a christian. i am not.” i am also “lost, wicked, and depraved but redeemed by the grace and beauty of God.”

i am a traveler who currently resides in Richmond, VA with my partner and love of my life, Katryna, and our two dawgs, Lady Dalmation, and Mushu, our Tibetan Spaniel. i am currently going through long-term treatment for Chronic Lyme Disease, other tick borne diseases, and heavy metal toxicity.

We realize that, like many of our guests, you may not agree with Adele’s theology — she realizes that as well — but we invite you to take the time to listen to Adele’s story and hear her story for yourself.  Take the time to hear her story and view it and her as an entire package, not just shunning her for what you may not agree with.  Then we welcome your thoughts and comments.  Drop us an e-mail or phone call and let us know what you think.

As an aside, Adele turns 40 today (april 2) – so look for her on Twitter and wish her a great one!

This is a sermon preached on Sunday 8 March on Mark 8: 31-38 (Lent 2B).  As always, I’d be glad to hear your thoughts.

So, I’ve been co-hosting the something beautiful podcast for a little while now but my first interview with someone else is this week’s episode!  I spoke with Ron Buford, the man behing the UCC’s Still Speaking campaign while we were both at FURY Assembly a couple of weeks ago.

Ron Buford

Have a listen and let me know what you think!

The Something Beautiful Podcast crew have produced a pretty cool crowd-sourced advent episode.  Listeners and regular contributers were invited to read one of the 9 Christmas Bible passages and send in Christmas wishes.  It’s turned out pretty good!  Avril and I read one and all the family read another.  I think our three boys do a particularly good job of shepherds and angels!  Have a listen at something beautiful.

I’m becoming a bit of a regular on the Something Beautiful Podcast, maybe because I’ll do pretty much anything for a latte and a cake.  Check out this week’s discussion where Thomas and I have a chat about Advent, hope, expectation, disappointment and recontextualisation (Thomas’ favourite word this week), all with the wonderful noises of Starbucks in the background.

Listen to the latest episode here and let us know what you think.  I’m sure some of what we say is not complete nonsense!!!

Peter Johnston and Scott Rennie have the first part of a fascinating conversation about the book ‘Why Liberal Churches Are Growing’.  Listen HERE to their discussion about the challenges facing the ‘progressive’ church, creating community, the church and young people and much more.

I mentioned that I had recoreded a discussion on Tribes for the Something Beautiful Podcast… well it’s edited and part 1 is online now… HERE.

Some further thoughts:

Tribes are everywhere.  We are all part of tribes.  Tribes form around interests and passions.  Tribes are big and small.  Tribes share a sense of purpose and belonging.

Godin’s book is one that all churches should read.  Not just church leaders.  But church people.  This is a book for leaders.  Some of those leaders are already leading tribes but some are waiting for their moment or waiting for their tribe.

So, what’s the book about?

Faith, Religion and Heretics.  Those aren’t necessarily words you would expect to read in a marketing book, but then Godin isn’t just any marketer.  He’s a heretic.

Faith, according to Seth, is a good thing.  Faith is something we all share.  Some have faith in God, others faith in Apple or Starbucks but that faith is mostly that the world can be better, that we can do better.  Faith helps us to reach further, to attain, to aspire.

Religion, well that happens when people who share a faith get together and start a club.  There are rules for the club and sooner or later those rules become more important than the faith they were made to celebrate.  This happens because people want to protect the status quo.  People want to preserve their faith.

Heretics are the people who lead change.  Martin Luther was a heretic.  Joan of Arc, Ghandi, Rob Bell…

Rob Bell?  Yes, Rob Bell.  The connection is that heretics change the rules.  Bell started a new church.  A new kind of church.

The thrust of Godin’s argument is that there are lots of people who are waiting to be led.  People are dissatisfied with the status quo.  Others have left their religion and are out there with their faith waiting and hoping for someone to come and lead them.  Waiting for someone to inspire them.

These people need leaders.

Leaders are all about how it could be.  Managers are about how it is.

Leaders are about what’s possible.  Managers are about what is.

Leaders deliver change.  Managers deliver the status quo.

Simple really.  Leaders lead.  People want to be led.  They want to form tribes around ideas and create movements.  Once the tribe is formed the leader’s role is to tighten the tribe.  To find ways to bring people together, to deepen relationships and to grow the tribe… if the tribe wants to grow.

Sound familiar?  Sound like something you want or need?  What’s the catch?

Leading is hard.  It takes committment and effort.  It takes people who don’t mind being called a heretic.

Seth Godin’s audiobook Tribes is available on iTunes ahead of the release of the book in a week or so.